Illinois Connection

Although I was born in Arkansas, I never lived there. My parents lived in Chicago and were visiting my grandfather in Arkansas when I was born. I grew up in the Chicago suburbs of Lincoln Park and Rogers Park. I attended Elk Grove High School in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, where I was the first Editor-in-Chief of The Guardian school newspaper. As an adult, I was the recipient of the ''Elk Grove High School Wall of Achievement Award'' in 1999 and of the Northwest Suburban High School District #214 ''Alumni Make a Difference'' award in 2000. As an adult, I've lived in: Rolling Meadows, Mt. Prospect, Fox River Grove and Hoffman Estates.

Biographical and Professional Information

Garden writer and author. Senior writer for The Landscape Contractor magazine and Landscape Illinois, both published by the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association. Member of Garden Writers Association since 1994. Author of six books and over 1,000 published articles. Moderator at Barnesandnoble.com - Mystery and Garden book clubs.

Titles At Your Library

Teaching gardeners to make the most of what they've got, this book includes a wealth of ideas for planting tiny spaces with scads of flowers and herbs or colorful miniature or climbing vegetables. Helpful sidebars offer examples of small-space plantings that work. 120 color photos.

It's not unusual for a gardener's dreams to be much bigger than one's yard: Bringing yourself back to earth can become a problem. This volume puts everything into sharp focus, a camera lens zooming in on the tiniest detail. Each plant becomes a portrait, and the amazing detail offers all the tips you need to manage your small garden effectively--even a plot without soil. You'll find helpful hints and gorgeous pictorial advice on container planting on rooftops

gardens in outdoor rooms, focusing on porches and patios

and luxuries usually found only in larger sites, like plots for vegetable and herbs, rock and water gardens. A full source listing and scores of sidebars suggest trees, fragrant plants, ready-made garden plans and much more. So, whether a mailbox area, a door path or garden gate, this guide to a world of secret spaces makes nearly every spot a prospect for gardening showmanship.

The Foliage Garden is the perfect guide for readers who want to create sophisticated gardens of leafy plants, as well as for those who want to complement their flower gardens with interesting leaves, bark, and berries.

In The Foliage Garden you'll find:

- Fresh foliage ideas for every time of year, from earliest spring through deepest winter

- A full palette of foliage colors, including silver and white, gold and green, burgundy, bronze, and blue plus a wealth of variegation

- Plants with the bonus of texture, fragrance, and interesting form

- Helpful sidebars on topics of special interest, such as ornamental grasses and bamboos and accenting from in the winter landscape

Beautifully illustrated garden plans and numerous full-color photographs make this a book to cherish as well as a practical guide to planning and planting a memorable garden. The book features 25 ready-made garden plans, scaled to every possible backyard situation and complete with easy-to-follow directions for planting and maintaining.

“Any of the plans, adapted to a particular situation, would be a great place to start for gardeners who don’t have the time, experience or confidence to research and develop a plan on their own. Browsing through these plans also would give a more confident gardener ideas.”—Chicago Tribune.

At Home In The Garden: Creating Stylish Outdoor Rooms
ISBN: 1567997333

Friedman. 2001

“A well-designed and beautifully decorated garden room effectively extends your living area into the out-of-doors. Learn to create a space that truly reflects your tastes.”—Country Almanac.

Hundreds of vibrant color photo ideas and practical checklists lead the way to transforming your yard or landscape.